In a conversation with my roommates the other day, I compared walking through this life with walking through a minefield...

There would be some seasons of life where we would be walking in between the buried land mines, but we were bound to step on a few along the way.

That was my life advice for our conversation that we were having about all the many changes that life brings and all the hard things we seem to have to go through to learn and grow.

To which my roommate so lovingly and semi-sarcastically responded, "Wow, Anna. That was really helpful."

lol.

If you know me well, you know that I can tend to take a slightly critical view on things. I'd like to say I am a realist, but I also know I can lean towards the overly critical.

So the sarcastic admonishment from my friend was well deserved.

And while it has been said before - and with great truth - that we are either preparing for a storm, walking through one, or coming out of one, we as Christians can not use these phrases as an excuse to have a negative view on this life we've been given.

Growing up in the Arizona desert, rain can come to feel like just as exciting of a phenomenon as snow on Christmas Day.

Things aren't much different here in Texas.

When it rain we immediately have to drive 10mph on roads where the normal speed limit is 65mph. We take videos, don't leave our houses, and will use it as an excuse to not go to the grocery store, run errands, or skip church.

You think I'm kidding...

Nevertheless rain is not something we can go without. Not even in Texas or Arizona.

And I am pretty pumped that the Lord says He is gonna come back and make this world perfect again like it originally was in the garden.

I mean, I'm excited for Jesus to come back and all, but I might also be equally as excited to be able to pet whatever animal I want, climb whatever mountain I want (without getting out of breath), and do whatever other extreme sports I want that I'm currently terrified of.

Before I went to Haiti back in May, a comment was made to me. In so many words, this person said, "I'm sure it's good you're going and all - it's good to help others - but are y'all even really making progress down there?" This person - like many others - had a bit of a hopeless mentality about Haiti. They knew about the storms and earthquakes that have ravaged the nation. They knew the poverty that existed in the nation.

So...I’m pretty sure this is called “striving”. Which is definitely not what we are supposed to do. But honestly y’all, it is so hard for me to sit still. Even when I know lots of things are about to be happening, even when I have a general timeline of what’s about to go down - I just can’t stand to sit and wait. My brain constantly feels like it is going a million miles an hour with about 5 different life plans that I think might work out great for me. .
And there, I think is why I struggle so much to sit and wait. Because I’ve mistaken who this whole life story thing is really about. I’ve believed the lie, that I am the one who makes things happen for me. And that I am the one that this life depends upon. I’ve believe the lie that I am the main character of this story. When really, nothing could be further from the truth. God doesn’t want us to slam into door after door, and fall on our faces in exhaustion because we have been relying on our own strength. He wants us to rest in Him and to wait on Him before we move forward. And while we may still hit some closed doors, when we are abiding instead of striving, we can trust that He is making a way. He has always been making a way for us to get back to Him. Independence and self-reliance was never supposed to be the goal.
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But I have good news - if you’ve believed that lie like I have, He will still meet you when you’re lying flat on your back looking straight up where He’s been waiting for you the whole time ❤️.
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Praying we would stop striving to achieve all the things we think we want and that we would start abiding in the One who promises to give us infinitely more than we could ever think or imagine. #abidedontstrive #abetterway

Thankful for the little glimpses of heaven we get in this life that we live between two gardens. Y’all, @lysaterkeurst has a new book coming out in November called, “It’s Not Supposed to be This Way.” And from what I’ve read of it so far, it’s everything, anyone who’s hurting or struggling or walking through something difficult, needs to hear. So basically, it’s exactly what all of us need to hear. It’s not a pretty little neat story with some helpful life hacks either. It’s a story about real life. Real pain. Real hurt. And a real hope.
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We may live among the brokenness between the world we were intended for, and the renewed and restored world that is to come, but we have a God who loves us and is working through even the broken things for our good and His glory. It’s these views that remind us that even though we can’t always see the whole picture, or the 50,000ft view, we have a God who sees it all. From the beginning to the end. And I’ve actually read the end of the incredible story He is writing. Spoiler Alert: His goodness wins. Our pain, it’s not permanent. ❤️🙌🏼
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Y’all can preorder @lysaterkeurst’s new book here: It's Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered https://www.amazon.com/dp/0718039858/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_q8pABbB1662F4 #itsnotsupposedtobethisway

Thank you to everyone at Baylor Grapevine who made my first few years of being a nurse so special. It’s been a wild ride, but I would not trade it for the world.

Thankful for these friends who know how to have fun and know how to talk about the hard stuff. Who know how to explore and get lost, but who will also come find you if you wander off track. Friends who know your worst thoughts and still remind you of the truth about who you are. Friends who are not afraid to call you out but also never fail to show you grace when you’ve messed up. These are the kinds of friendships we were created for. They’re still messy, and still broken, but they’re beautiful because of the One they are centered around. Wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for relationships like these.

I sometimes struggle when I get on social media and see all the successful writers and online business owners killing it at what they do. I struggle because I think, “Everyone’s already done this thing I wanna do, why should I even keep writing?” The same thing happens at work or within my group of friends when I hear everyone talk about going back to school to be a Nurse Practitioner or Physicians Assistant. Does the world really need another provider? Isn’t the job market too crowded already? Isn’t healthcare going broke anyways?
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Doubt is a tool that the enemy loves to wield and use on us as we begin to pursue God in every part of our lives. He will tell you that you aren’t good enough or that the world doesn’t need you. He will tell you that you aren’t smart enough and that you will probably fail. He will tell you that there’s already someone out there doing that one thing better than you ever could, so why even try?
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But here’s the truth. Yes, most things have been said, done, written, and taught before. But no one has ever done it quite like you. No one has ever written the stories, cared for the patients, or taught the people He has in front of you right now. So go out there and do that thing that you do. Whether you’ve been called to teach, preach, care for, or create. Just get to it. Whether you show one person Christ’s love through your work, or one million people - our job is to be faithful. Our job is to know Him and make Him known. And our work is a very unique way - and a unique gift - that each of us have been given to show others His love. Stop letting comparison win. Stop letting doubt creep in. Cling to truth. And do what you’ve been called to do. For as long as we live in this broken world, someone will need you to show them that Jesus loves them too.

Happy Birthday @molliehu!! Thanks for traveling across the world with me, intentionally pressing my buttons to grow my patience, always making me laugh, and for trying to see the positive in every situation first. Excited to see what the Lord has in store for you this year and to see how He continues to grow you. Can not wait to hear stories about all the kids you’re going to get a chance to show Christ’s love to as you start teaching this year. Love you!

How we feel about Friday.

Whoever you are, wherever you are, He’s offering each of us the same thing. He’s offering us Himself. The one true never ending well of goodness, love, grace, and peace. The only one who can satisfy all our hearts long for. Through Jesus, we get to have a relationship with Him.
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Tonight’s post is about where He is when the storms come. And I have good news, it’s often in the storms that He fills us up with all His goodness the most. Hang on. Lean in. Be still. And be filled up. (Link in bio)

Growing up in Arizona and now living in Texas, rain is far more exciting for me than it is most people. And while summer time rain often brings with it damaging winds and flooding, even in places like Arizona and Texas, we still need the water. The funny thing is, the same is true for the storms we walk through in our lives.
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The storms we walk through in our lives may bring strong winds and wreck havoc on the security we cling to, but the truth is, we still need the water.
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What is the water? How do we let ourselves be refilled even in the midst of chaos? New post tomorrow - check it out to find out.
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When it rains, it may pour, but He still wants to refill us.

He is good and He can be trusted. Even with the unexpected and hard things. We weren’t made for this broken world but He is still in the business of redeeming it.
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If you haven’t already I hope y’all will check out my friend’s ministry at @breakthemoldministries. They shared a little about my recent book and are doing some awesome work encouraging women to be who they were made to be in Christ. .
If you have read this short little devo I’d greatly appreciate a review on Amazon so it can reach more people!! (Link in bio) #castyourcaresbook

These people in this show were CRAZY talented. And we got to sit SO CLOSE to them — Thankful for a fun night with a good friend watching gifted people use their talents to tell a story we all know so well that is filled with truths that point to the even greater story that we are all living in.

“Every overnight success I have had has taken a minimum of 20 years.” @christinecaine
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Before Paul became the apostle, leader, and influencer he came to be, he spent years studying the scriptures and then again years spending time with Jesus. And before Jesus set out to defeat sin and death and tell us who He was, He spent years humbling himself, loving others, and learning from his Father - 30 years to be exact.
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We live in a culture that prides itself on instant gratification and success. But more often than not, God wants to take His time working on our hearts before He takes us to the top of the Areopagus. Because He knows that when we get there, if worldly success is our goal, we will surely be dissatisfied. It’s only when we realize that true success is found in obedience, that we are truly satisfied.
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Paul spent a lot of time preaching. But he was also an eager learner. He was a learner of people, and culture. And most importantly a learner of Christ.
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What I’m learning is that God doesn’t want us to have hearts that strive to achieve. He wants us to have hearts that are eager to receive. Eager to receive His calling and His teaching. His peace and His preaching. And to set aside our pride and selfish dreaming. And I’m learning that it’s a much better way. #abetterway #instablog